Interviews

Glenn Beck on Obama's 'Kick Butt' Comment

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," June 11, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the "At Your Beck and Call" segment tonight: Our pal Glenn has spent some time on his program this week criticizing President Obama for his "kick butt" comment. But why? Why is the Beck-meister upset by that? I talked with him last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'REILLY: So here's what I don't understand, Beck. You are a kick butt, take names kind of guy.

O'REILLY: You are. You have names all over that crazy blackboard that you have on your program. Everyday you've got names and you're kicking their butts. Are you not?

BECK: Uh-huh.

O'REILLY: OK. So then when the president imitates you, right?

BECK: No, first of all…

O'REILLY: When he imitates you, he says he's going to find out which…

BECK: Is there any…

O'REILLY: …people…

BECK: No.

O'REILLY: No?

BECK: No.

O'REILLY: Where am I wrong?

BECK: First of all, is there anybody in this audience who would like to see me as president of the United States? No.

O'REILLY: No, no, there are a lot of people out there who would.

BECK: You wouldn't want that. You don't want that in a president. First of all, it bothered me not because he said what he did, although I don't think I've ever heard a president say that in a serious…

O'REILLY: Woodrow Wilson, I believe.

BECK: Don't get me started on Woodrow Wilson.

(LAUGHTER)

O'REILLY: I know. No, I won't. I'm sorry. Strike that. Strike that.

BECK: OK.

O'REILLY: Go ahead.

BECK: So I've never — I don't think I've ever heard a president say that in a serious — in a serious tone unless it's an enemy of the state. And then I would have a hard time. But it's not even the language. It is the fact that the president's job is not to kick anybody's butt. It is to uphold justice, uphold the Constitution. Get things solved. This man — first of all, let me tell you who he was talking to. Americans couldn't relate to that comment. He was not talking to anybody but quite honestly these people: America's Future Now. It was a conference that happened this week. Van Jones spoke at it.

O'REILLY: Yes, this was a far-left group. This was in Washington?

BECK: Crazy — yes.

O'REILLY: OK.

BECK: Crazy revolutionaries.

O'REILLY: Right.

BECK: Van Jones, I know…

O'REILLY: Why would he bother talking to them? What does he care about that?

BECK: That's his powerbase. They — this week Van Jones said there is a pivot point in America. Something has changed this week with the progressive movement when the administration and the White House has decided they're going to be progressives with us. Then he said that we need to get out in the streets.

O'REILLY: This is Jones saying this.

BECK: This is Jones.

O'REILLY: Right.

BECK: I want you — Bill, I'm going to give you some homework. This is Van Jones' organization, it was called Storm. He co-founded it in the 1990s.

O'REILLY: Right.

BECK: This is — this is the report from 2004. His organization collapsed, but when the White House found him, he had been doing this. They said oh, we watched him in Oakland. This is what he did.

O'REILLY: Right.

BECK: This is a call for violent revolution in America.

O'REILLY: Well, you got the guy fired, Beck. I mean he's done.

BECK: But he's not out.

O'REILLY: Yes, he is. He's just — he's speaking at this crazy conference. What does that mean?

BECK: This crazy conference…

O'REILLY: Yes?

BECK: …has a ton of influence and power.

O'REILLY: So you think Obama on the "Today" show with Matt Lauer, who I understand you guys are very close, you and Lauer. OK, so you think Obama at the "Today" show was talking to this crazy group and not to the American people? I disagree. I think Obama saw the 69 percent of people, according to the ABC News poll, saying hey, you're not doing a good job.

BECK: The game has changed, Bill.

O'REILLY: OK, wait, wait…

BECK: The game has changed.

O'REILLY: Hear me out. Obama saw the 69 percent stat and said you know what? I better get out there and show I'm a tough guy because these people think I don't care about this. So that's why I'm going to do…

BECK: Barack Obama and the politicians on the Democrats. There are two separate people. Bill Clinton doesn't get up every morning and go, I'd like to see blood in the streets. I'd like to have a revolution. I'm going to be about…

O'REILLY: You should hear him about the press.

BECK: Right. Well, that's true. He's doesn't — he's not a communist. Joe Biden is not a communist. These people are.

O'REILLY: OK, but…

BECK: Wait, wait. It moves — it moves the — as Van Jones says, if we get out and push, it will move, it will force the government to move. That's what they're doing.

O'REILLY: Beck, I'm not seeing this. I'm seeing Obama speaking directly to the American people that he's a tough guy now and he's going to take names.

BECK: No.

O'REILLY: And you see it as a more…

BECK: Look.

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: You know what the American would like?

O'REILLY: What?

BECK: The guy can have a beer summit.

O'REILLY: Yes.

BECK: A beer summit.

O'REILLY: Yes.

BECK: But he can't meet with the guy who's the president of BP?

O'REILLY: Tony Hayward.

BECK: Are you kidding me? And did you see how he said it? Yes, I mean, this is…

O'REILLY: I didn't meet with him because he's not going to say anything to me.

BECK: My experience is, you talk to a guy like BP's CEO. He is going to say all the right things. I'm not interested in words. I'm interested in actions. Excuse me? Can you imagine if anyone today would say oh, I'm not going to meet with Al Sharpton. Never met him. I'm not going to meet with Al Sharpton because in my experience those guys, they'll say one thing. This is akin to racism, except it's capitalism.

O'REILLY: Well, it's…

BECK: It is.

O'REILLY: I don't think it's good strategy. I think he's…

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: He should talk to the CEO and read him the Riot Act.

BECK: Bill, help me out. How is that not stereotyping all capitalists? Maybe this guy is a bad guy. But he's saying my experience is, you meet with these kinds of guys…

O'REILLY: You know, Beck, this is why you're an interesting guy. You see things that I don't see.

BECK: Yes, I do.

O'REILLY: You know you do.

BECK: And that's why I have a bunker.

O'REILLY: Right.

BECK: And he is not getting in.

O'REILLY: You see things — you extrapolate things. And I'm not saying you're wrong. There is a one in 75,000 chance you're right.

(LAUGHTER)

O'REILLY: I would never have imagined that this kick butt comment could have had so much social revolution implication. I would never have imagined it.

BECK: I don't know.

O'REILLY: That's why — that's why you're a star.

BECK: May I just speak to America for a second? I don't understand him either. I don't get it.

(LAUGHTER)

BECK: I don't.

O'REILLY: All right. I have to do a plug for — a week from tonight, we're going to be in Columbus, Ohio. If you want to see us, there are a few tickets available but they're going fast. It's a great Father's Day gift. And then we're going to St. Louis on the Saturday, what is it, the 19th. So you and I are going to be there. And are you going to bring the blackboard? Are you going to bring all those paper…

BECK: Are you kidding me? I'm going to bring a few blackboards.

O'REILLY: You're going to have more…

BECK: And if you — I mean if you still don't see it, I want you to read this.